Amusement device.



T. THOIN.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 191s.

Patented May 12, 1914.

IN VE N TOR. 7AM

A TTORNEJQS,

THOMAS THOIN, OF WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

tented llIay 12, 1914..

Application filed August 4, 1913. Serial No. 782,769.

1 0 all 107107 it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS TiroIN, a citizen of the United States of iunerica, residing at lVest Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of lllassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Amusement Device, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to that type of an amusement device known as a target device, and more especially to a device designed to serve as a target for balls thrown by hand, and said invention consists essentially of a revoluble member equipped with certain peculiar, peripheral, rotatable, target members, together with such subsidiary and auxiliary parts and members as may be found desirable or necessary for use in connection with said first-mentioned men'ibers, all as hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is to produce a comparatively simple and inexpensive device which is capable of presenting to the marksman, that is, to the person throwing the ball or balls, a plurality of moving targets, which targets have independent movements when struck and are caused to be changed by the force of the blow. In this device the targets have what may be called a normal or constant motion, and they are also capable of an independent movement, the latter being at right-angles to the former, and the targets all moving together in the first instance and only as imlividuals or individual groups in the second instance.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawlngs, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device which embodies a practical form of my in vention, the upper portion of the back screen being broken oil, and a portion of the front screen being broken out in order fully to disclose one of the target units; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the parts shown in the first View, and, Fig. 3, an enlarged detail in section of one of the targetamit stops or checks.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

I prefer to use in connection with my amusement device front and back screens 1 and 2, respectively. These screens may be made of any suitable material and supported in any suitable manner, but in the pres ent case 1 employ a suitably constructed frame 3 to the front of which the screen 1 is attiwhed, and a suitably constructed frame +1? to the front of which the screen 2 is attached. The frames 3 and -1- also serve to support a shaft 5 which constitutes a part of the amusement device proper.

The screen 1, may extend upward to a level with the axis of any one of the target units, presently to be described, when such unit is in its highest position, as shown, or said screen may be low enough to expose more of the targets, as may be desired. Obviously no part of the device which is below the top of the screen 1 can be struck by a ball thrown at the device. Thus it is seen that the screen 1 hides and protects everything that it is not desired to have exposed to the balls thrown at the device.

In practice the screen 2 must extend high enough to intercept all balls thrown over the top of the screen '1, whether such balls strike an exposed target or not. It is not neces sary, of course, for the screen 2 to extend clear to the ground or even very far below the horizontal plane of the top of the screen 1.

Securely mounted on the shaft 5 is a rotary member (5 which may be in the form of a wheel or disk of any suitable construction. The member or disk (3 carries on its periphery a series of rotatable targetunits 7. Each unit 7 is in the form of a four-bladed paddle-wheel, and includes an axial member which in the present case consists of a sleeve 8 from which the blades extend.

Combined with each unit 7 is some suitable supporting means for said unit, which means may consist of a U-shaped support 5) having its inner ends rigidly attached to the disk (3, and upon the crosspiecc of which support is mounted the sleeve 8 of such unit. Each unit 7 is retained by its support 9 far enough beyond the periphery of the disk (3 to clear said disk when said unit is rotated, and. the direction of rotation of said unit is necessarily at right-angles to that of said disk.

On the face of each blade of each unit, which is presented to the front and above or beyond the unit sleeve 8 when such face is vertisal, may be delineated or allixed a picture as shown, or some other character, figure, marking, or designation. The designations thus employed can be arranged in series or otherwise as may be found expedient. In some cases, however, the units 7 may be left entirely plain or blank.

The member or disk 6 is mounted on the shaft 5 between the screens 1 and 2, and said shaft and supported parts are revolved by any suitable means and in any suitable manner, a crank: 10 on the rear end of such shaft being the means herein provided, inasmuch as it is intended to operate this device by hand.

For the purpose of checking the rotary motion imparted to any one of the units 7 by the blow from a ball, so that such unit shall come to rest with two of its oppositely disposed blades or arms in a vertical position, I may provide said unit with recessed end plates 11, and spring-pressed pins 12 to operate in connection with said plates. Each plate 11 is rigidly attached to one of the units 7 at one end, and such plate has a recess 13 in the outer face thereof directly in line with each unit blade. The crosspiece of each support 9 is provided, adjacent to the plate 11 mounted with the sleeve 8 thereon, with a. holder 1 f which is recessed to receive one of the pins 12 and a spring 15, the latter being introduced between the inner end of the pin and the closed end of the recess. The pin 12 thus slidingly mounted in the holder 14c is thrust against the adjacent plate 11 by the spring 15, and is arranged in the circular path of the recesses 13 in said plate. The end of the pin 12 which protrudes fro-m the holder 14L is rounded, and the recesses 18 are made concave and are elongated in the direction of their rotation or path, so that said bolt can enter and leave said recesses freely.

From the foregoing it is clear that the pins 12 exert an influence over the unit 7 in retaining them in their normal and stationary condition position on the supports 9, and have a tendency to check said units when independently rotated and finally to stop them in the desired position.

In practice, the shaft is revolved by means of the crank at whatever rate of speed may be desired, with the result that one unit blade and its picture after another are presented to view above the top of the screen 1. Balls are thrown at these 8X- posed blades, and whenever one is hit the unit which comprises it is caused to rotate and continues so to do until again brought to rest by the contacting pin 12. The amount of rotation imparted to the unit struck by a ball depends upon the force be- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the hind the ball, but usually the momentum thus imparted to the unit is not sufficient, or at least it may not be sufficient, to cause said unit to make more than a part of a revolution. This naturally depends on the strength of the spring and the force of the blow. Unless a unit when struck makes one complete revolution, a new picture is brought into view to receive the next blow.

It is apparent that this device without material change can be utilized for playing games of various sorts.

Various changes in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of some or all of the parts of the device, as herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the nature of my invention.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in an amusement device, with a rotary member, and a series of target units mounted for complete rotation on the periphery of said member in a direction at right-angles to the direction of rotation of said member, each of such units comprising a plurality of blades arranged radially to a common axis and of uniform size and shape, of means to check each of said units and retain it with any blade in normal position.

2. The combination, in an amusement device, with a revoluble member, and a series of supports attached to saidmember, said supports being provided with yielding pins, of a series of target units mounted on said supports and adapted to be rotated thereon, said units each comprising a plurality of blades and being provided with a recessed member for engagement with the associated pin.

3. The combination, in an amusement device with a rotary member, and a series of target units mounted for complete revolution on the periphery of said member in a direction at right-angles to the direction of rotation of said member, each of said units comprising a plurality of blades arranged radially to a common axis, of uniform size and shape, and having designationson the faces of such blades which are designed to be exposed as targets, of means to check such unit and so retain it as to present the designation on any blade thereof in normal position.

THOMAS THQIN.

lVitnesses F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAiRBANKS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

